Waking Up To You Never Felt So Real
by XxFeel.Like.LovexX
Summary: Hatter, once in love as a teenager, faces a person he never thought he'd see in a situation he'd never realized how tragic.  Alice, after breaking it off with Hatter is coming to realize her decisions may not have been the best idea.
1. Chapter 1

She laid in the field of flowers with him by her side. They laughed and smiled. He thought her smile, her one smile, could make the world stop turning. He reached for her hand, and she laced her fingers with his and shared a smile with him. "Can we lay like this forever?" he asked as the breeze moved her dirty blonde hair off her face. She smiled at him sadly.

"I wish, but you know I'm leaving. My parents are tired of wonderland. They want to be the oysters. They want to live as they do, and feel things as they do. None of this good feeling only nonsense."

"But it's so dangerous to get through the looking glass…"

"I know." She whispered gently touching his face. "We're only fifteen Hatter. This can't really be love. I know that's what you tell yourself every chance you get. But it cannot be love. I've known you every second of every day; our parents had us on play dates. But this, this moment right here is only a moment. It'll stick in your brain until you really do fall in love. This will not matter the same tomorrow or the next day as it matters right now." He looked at her sadly.

"Time doesn't pass over there like it does here, does it?" She shook her head.

"When I'll be 18 you will still be fifteen. It's like the other childhood story of Peter Pan. Only this place is real." He chewed on his lip and studied her fair face. Her round-face with a smile that could light up the stars.

"Can we ever be together again?" She shook her head.

"Until you can find a way out of wonderland, we cannot. Besides, by the time you get through the looking glass I'll have a family of my own. My daughter would be old enough to date you." She said with a laugh. He looked at her.

"So this is the last moment we'll have together. Us childhood friends. You'll grow old and die before I do." She nodded.

"Don't worry Hatter. You're the one person I'll never be able to forget."

"Then why do you have to leave me?" Her eyes filled with tears.

"I love my family more than you Hatter. I'm doing this for them. They need me. And my psychic powers." He sighed and stroked her cheek gently.

"I'm going to miss you." He whispered as she kissed him gently on the lips.


	2. Chapter 2

"Alice, why do we need to ride this… public thingy."

"Because we need to go grocery shopping and my cars in the shop." Alice said frustrated. "You know that."

"But people smell funny on there." He whined meeting her eyes. She smiled at him, no matter what, his confusion made him so cute.

"You chose to move to this side, you ought to face the consequences." She said patting him gently on the back.

"I moved here to be with you, but look how that ended."

"And you still chose to stay." He crossed his arms angrily. His mind kept wandering back to Maggie. And the last memory they shared in the field they spend hours playing. He wondered how the hell she managed to live her life this way. No proper tea time, voting, and all that garbage. He didn't understand the rules, how could any person do it this way?

The bus pulled up in front of them and they got on. Alice paid the fair for both of them and he looked around on the bus. Everyone looked so weird, minding their own business. He wanted to dance and shout to change the somber mood about this thing. As he scanned the area a girl caught his eye. His heart dropped to his stomach and felt as if he was going to be sick. The girl had Maggie's face, and her dirty blonde hair. Her skin was covered in soot and ash and the dress she was wearing was as well. Alice lead him to the seat across from her. He couldn't stop staring. The girl looked so out of place. He wanted to scream, run, jump, and hug the girl. She looked up at him and their eyes met. His heart dropped further when he saw she wasn't the girl he thought she was. Alice looked at him curiously and then looked at the girl across from them and her mouth dropped open.

"What happened to her?" She whispered to him. He just shrugged and looked at her blankly. "We have to do something; the poor thing is so filthy!" He shook his head.

"No, you know better than to pick up strangers on these things! What if she killed her family? What if she's killed 100 good looking men or something?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

"How the hell can you be so critical and heartless? This right here is why we aren't together anymore!"

"Fine, you wanna help Maggie you can help her." The girl glanced up at them when the name was spoken. Alice looked at him questioningly and he looked away. He didn't mean to say that. He knew it wasn't who he wanted it to be. He was disappointed in himself for thinking, even for a second he'd see her again. Alice got up and moved next to the girl.

"Hi, my name's Alice." She said and Hatter shut his eyes. He didn't want to hear the girls voice. He didn't want to help the girl. He just wanted to be back in his tea shop. He opened his eyes and looked at Alice and the girl. The girl was smiling at her. His heart fell again. It was the same smiles that use to make his heart beat a million miles a minute.

"My name's Chessie." The girl said with a croaky voice. Her green eyes twinkling in the faded light.

"I know this sounds weird, but I have a warm shower and a lot of clothes if you want to let me help you. I have a couch for you to sleep on and a lot of tea." The girl looked over at him.

"What's your name?" She asked politely searching his face.

"My name's Hatter." He said stiffly.

"Does your boyfriend mind?" She asked Alice. Alice turned a light shade of pink and started stumbling on her words.

"Oh, he's not my boyfriend… well… he use to be but, that's not important." The girl smiled at her.

"You use to love him, but you're the one who stopped first." The girl said and Hatter instantly looked over at her again. He was feeling a lot of different emotions; he wasn't sure which one to pick. Everything felt like it was bubbling beneath his skin.

"How did you know that?" Alice asked looking confused. The girl looked over at Hatter and smiled.

"I just do. I may not be a murderer, but I'm good at reading people. I can see things that they cannot or chose not to see." He made eye contact with her for a second, but couldn't hold the stare. She was too much like Maggie to not be Maggie. He had a million questions running through his head, and he wanted to ask them all to her, but he looked at her and saw that now wasn't the time. Her green eyes looked so deep and sad. Feelings he had never seen in Maggie. He didn't think Maggie was capable of a single bad emotion.

"Our stop is soon; would you like to stay with us?" Alice offered again, feeling deeply for this girl. She had never seen anything so small look so sad. The girl looked frail and long. Her curves were accentuated by the pink dress she was wearing. He couldn't help think she looked to similar to Maggie. The girl bit her lip and looked at Alice. Her green eyes searching her; then she smiled.

"Yes." She said simply. She smiled and looked unsure of herself. She looked over at Hatter and their eyes met. She stared at him curiously. He started playing with his shirt cuffs.

"What are you?" She asked when their eyes met again.

"What do you mean?" He chuckled nervously.

"I mean, you aren't from around here."

"I'm English." He replied simply playing with his shirt cuffs again. He felt her eyes searching him. Poking and prodding curiously, it was a feeling he hadn't felt in a long time. It made him nervous and uneasy. She thought he felt familiar. Something about him seemed so familiar and safe.

Chessie had been such a normal girl growing up. Her parents taught her everything about love and how to be content with everything and every chance you were given. She didn't think this is what being an adult would be like. She didn't think that the day she turned 18, would become so chaotic. It hurt her inside to think of her mother. Her mother had given her more than she ever deserved. She supported her in every decision she ever made. She gave her life, and taught her to appreciate that life. She never thought she'd have to be alone in a fire, to suffocate on the smoke. She tried all day to avoid the pain burning inside her chest. She spent hours in the police department and she wanted nothing more than to be able to go back home and have them assure her everything would be alright. She looked up at the man who kept staring at her and she wondered what it was about him that felt so safe. She couldn't read him. He wasn't normal. He was what her mother was, and she didn't even know that. She just knew her mother was strange, and this man was something like she was. His brown hair and chocolate eyes were just as curious as hers were. They took turns staring at each other, trying to figure the other one out. She glanced at the Alice girl who sat happily next to her. She smiled at her when their eyes met. She was thankful to meet her. She hadn't met someone so friendly in such a long time. She began to think they didn't exist. The bus stopped and Alice held out her hand to Chessie. She took it and held on tightly as she was lead off the bus and upstairs to an apartment.

"It may not be much, but I can assure you that you'll be comfortable." Chessie smiled at her. She was never much of a talker, always just an observer. After all, people were easier to watch then to become a part of. "My shower is down the hall to the left, I'll leave some clean clothes outside the door for you to change into." Chessie smiled and headed down to the shower. Hatter filled a pot with water and put it on the stove. Alice was staring at him curiously.

"What was that?"

"What do you mean?"

"On the bus, why did you call her Maggie?" He shrugged.

"She looks like a Maggie doesn't she?" She narrowed her eyes at him.

"There's something you aren't telling me."

"Does he matter?" He sighed sadly. "Does it really matter? You're just curious. It's pointless." Alice began to feel angry with him. He was closing himself off and she didn't understand why. As much as she wanted him as a friend, she didn't like it when he did this.

"Do you know her from your world?" He chuckled.

"No, actually I don't. If I had I would've been the one to offer her a place to stay. Some tea perhaps. I think she needs it."

"Your kind of tea or ours?" He smiled.

"Mine. Did you see her eyes? The hollowness, the sadness?" She nodded sadly. "I think she could use a cup of happiness."

"I wonder what happened." Alice said sitting in a chair with her back hunched. "I mean, I've never seen someone look so lost on the bus." He shrugged. "She's so dirty…"

"Something we could probably never fathom. I mean unless we've gone through it ourselves, we are incapable of understanding." She looked at him with big eyes.

"She's only a small girl." He rolled his eyes.

"She's an adult Alice. She's a big girl. I'm sure she's more than capable of taking care of herself. She doesn't need you." She rolled her eyes at him and got up to get herself a teabag.


	3. Chapter 3

Chessie stood in the shower with her eyes closed, enjoying the warm water pressure gently against the nap of her neck. She felt the warmth spread from her neck to the tips of her fingers and toes. She smiled as she appreciated this. She felt strongly for Alice for having such a big heart. She watched the water turn from black to clear before turning the facet off and just enjoying the warm steam all around her body. She liked this apartment. It felt so much like home; so warm and inviting. She got out of the shower and saw her beautiful light pink Betsey Johnson dress. She picked it up feeling her heart twinge. She saved up so much money for this dress. She wanted it so badly for her 18th birthday. She wanted to feel so much like an adult. She wanted to grow up with a bang and look beautiful for it. Before the fire, her parents looked at her like they were so proud of her. They both loved the way she looked in it, all grown up. She sighed sadly and folded it up. She knew that no matter what happened after this point, she needed this dress. After all, it was all she had left. She opened the door slowly and found the towel and a pair of flannel pajamas behind the door. She grabbed them and got dressed. She felt so warm and comfortable in the pajamas. She hung the towel up to try and held on tightly to her dress. She shuffled her way into the living room and saw that there were a couple cups of tea just sitting on the table. Hatter was lost in thought and Alice was outside on the phone. She walked up behind him.

"Boo." She whispered and he jumped five feet in the air. He turned around and smiled at her.

"Help yourself to a cup of tea." He said cheerful in his British accent. She smiled and sat down besides him She put in a teabag and poured some hot water. She loved the way tea smelled. Her mother had it once a day. She smiled and he looked over at her.

"You like tea?"

"More than you could imagine." She said looking over at him. "My mother had a thing for it. Once a day she made sure she drank some. She said it reminded her of an old friend." He looked over at her and searched her expression.

"What happened to your mum?" She looked up at him sadly.

"She's gone." He felt sympathy for the girl.

"Was her name Maggie?" He asked his heart racing in his chest. She looked over at him confused.

"Yes… you knew her didn't you?" They made eye contact. "That's why you feel familiar. You're the Hatter." He looked at her in shock.

"How…?" She smiled.

"She told me stories of her childhood. She said she had a friend they called Hatter who always invited her for a cup of tea." He fiddled with his fingers.

"What else did she tell you?" She smiled simply.

' "That was all." He looked at her sadly.

"How old was she when she died?"

"36." She was running her finger along the mouth of the cup. "She was young. She had more life to live." Her eyes were filling up with tears. Hatter didn't know what to do. He had never needed to comfort a girl before, let alone one he partically knew.

"I can take my tea elsewhere, if you'd like." He said awkwardly. She looked up at him with her sea-green eyes and shook her head.

"Can you stay with me tonight?" She said as a tear fell from her eyes. "I'm scared. I've never had to do this before…" He put his arm around her gently and she pressed her face against his shoulder. Next thing he knew her arms were locked around his waist and she was crying heavily. He felt it soak through his shirt. He rested his head against hers and rubbed her back gently. He looked up and saw Alice watching them curiously through the window. He waited until she had her back turned before kissing her forehead.

"I promise you'll be safe."

"What if they come back?"

"Who?"

"The people who started the fire."

"They can't find you here. I knew your mother, and I'll protect you like I would have protected her." He whispered closing his eyes. He felt a strange sensation behind his eyes. It was like he felt everything as deeply as she did. He never would have guessed that the first person he ever fell for would die. He never guessed that her daughter would be here in his arms right now, looking so much like her that it hurt him. He remembered that afternoon in the fields and his heart broke. He opened his eyes and felt the girl clinging to his shirt so tightly. He held her as close as he could, wanting her to be as close to him as physically possible. He wanted to save her, because he couldn't save her mother.

Chessie let go slowly as her tears began to subside. Something about this man made her feel alright. She didn't know if it was because he knew her mother, or because he felt as strange as her mother. She looked up at him with bloodshot eyes and he held her face gently and wiped off her tears. They looked into each others eyes and had a mutual understanding. Alice came inside confused and sympathetic.

"Chessie honey, are you alright?" She asked kneeling in front of her and grabbing her hand. She smiled at Alice and kissed her cheek.

"Thanks." She sniffled. Alice kissed her back.

"If you're tired, you can have my couch, I'll go get you some blankets and pillows alright?" She looked at Hatter. "Hatter will help me go find them." He nodded and follwed her. Chessie moved from the kitchen chair to the couch and buried her face into the cushions.

"What was that?" Alice asked accusingly. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"We were sharing a moment."

"First you don't tell me why you called her Maggie, and then you're kissing her forehead and comforting her. Theres something I don't know." He put his hands in his pockets and shuffled his feet.

"It's a long story." He muttered. She sat on her bed.

"I have time."

"But she doesn't. Look, can we please just give her the blankets so she can sleep?" Alice shook her head.

"If she's staying here and you know her, I need to know how."

"I don't know her, that the thing."  
"Then who the hell was Maggie?"

"Her mother alright!" He shouted running his fingers through his hair. "I knew her mother when she was young. She was my neighbor and we were best friends." Alice looked up at him curiously.

"So, she's not from here is she?"

"Her mother left when I was sixteen. She escaped wonderland. I don't know how she did it, but I expect someone else knew. They killed her. She's dead." Alice gasped.

"Who would do such a thing?"

"I don't know, someone who believed in the old ways. Look, can we please give her the blankets now?" Alice stared at him sadly. She didn't like this desperation coming from him at all. She didn't like that the day turned from so happy to so somber.

"You want to help her don't you."

"Well, so do you. That's why you let her come here."

"You didn't want me to."

"Because she looks so damn much like Maggie, don't you understand?" She shook her head. He sighed. "I'm done with this conversation. Please. I'm begging you to drop it. Now isn't the time for explanations. I'm staying here to."

"But-"

"No, none of that. That girl needs me." Alice touched his arm gently.

"I can take care of her, I'm more than capable." They stared each other in the eye.

"I know, but kind of like following you over here to see you. Something's telling me I need to stay." Alice had a million thoughts running through her head. First off, why was he so dedicated to this girl? What was Maggie to him? Did he fall in love again? Why did he suddenly want to help out? He obviously knew something about this girl that she did not. She felt a bit of jealousy as she saw the look in his eye. She knew they were better off as friends, but she couldn't help it. He helped her so much in Wonderland. She wanted him to protect her again. That was where their love was. Not in real love, but in the protection he provided. She knew the logistics of it, but she wanted that feeling again. She nodded.

"Fine. You can stay with her in there." She said feeling defeated and curious. She went to her closet and handed him some pillows and blankets. "Just make sure she's alright."


End file.
